Prophecy of the Sixth
by Dragons.Shade
Summary: This is the story of one clan that, with the help of starclan, will onece again claim the bloodline of willowclan, but first one kit must find her way through the woods and hold the fractured pieces of the clan togather in the face of an unknown enemy.
1. Witten in Fox Blood

**Chapter 1: Written in fox blood**

"Foxkit... come on," Featherkit looks around nervously. "We need to leave now!" She crouches and moves closer to Foxkit. A crow takes flight a distance from them startling her, meanwhile Foxkit continues to search the nearby brush under an anchient willow.

"Hold on a minute! I know we're close, I can feel it..." Foxkit noses the remnants of brambles that have grown over the tree roots. "Ha! found it!" She then pushes her way through the overgrown brambles into a hollow in the willow roots.

"Foxkit!" Featherkit wines. She glances around nervously and then hesitantly follows her sister into the hollow.

The bramble covered entrance widens out into a spacious den with patches of sunlight streaming down from between the exposed roots of the great willow. the two kits gaze at the marvoulus, abandoned ,yet somehow welcoming, queens den. The den had been abandoned for moons untill the two kits found their way through the forest to it. The first visiters since the fall of willowclan, a kit pale as milky moonlight and her sister like a crying fox. Featherkit overcome with wonder circles the den and comes back around to Foxkit who is still gazing longingly into the roots high above.

"... You were right. It was here... Oh no!" The dappled light from above beginning to fade Featherkit rushed back to the entrance. "Mama's gonna be mad if we arent back before sunfall!" The two sisters rush out of the den. "I hope Blackkit can stall a little longer!"

As they rush around the base of the willow the bushes begin to russel and the two kits skid to a stop barly daring to breath. Then a small black body pops out from behind the bush with twiggs sticking in its short fur. "Blackkit!" they sigh in unison and pad over to their brother happily, if a little anxious.

Blackkit, pulling twigs out of his fur, hurridly explains, "mama's wondering where you are. I told her you went to meet Kish's new kits And asked Kish to lie for us if mama asked. We need to go Now!" pulling the last twig from his pelt he went around the bush turning to check if his sisters had bothered to follow him. Featherkit was following on his heals almost toppling over him when he slowed, Foxkit following at a more reasonable distance.

The three kits ran the remaining way back to the rundown twoleg place where they live. Exhausted and hungry the kits wander over to their mother. The she-cat is sleek and a light orange-brown with black marks trailing from her eyes to her muzzle. Her short fur is well groomed and her and her kits are well fed. Willowsong purrs as her three kits wearily pad over to her then pauses, sniffing. Her eyes widen as she recognizes the faded scent of willowclan. Willowsong slowly takes a step back from her kits shaking her head quietly "I told you not to go into the woods. I told you it was dangerous!" her voice straining, becoming more sever but never rising above a whisper. "I told you not to go there, not to go looking..."

Featherkit anxiously steps toward her mother "Mama were sorry we didn't mean any harm..." then Foxkit interupts "We didn't get hurt mama we promise we wont do it again."

Willowsong, eyes still wide with fear, takes a calming breath, "You intentionally disobayed me. Blackkit you lied about your sisters! Don't you understand how dangerous that was? You three could have gotten killed, or lost!" the fear in her eyes lessens a little as she begins to relax, thinking that they had no knowledge of Willowclans wearabouts. "Come on little ones, eat something and go to sleep. And don't think you've heard the end of this."

Foxkit, Blackkit, and Featherkit all gather around Willowsong after a quick meal. Limbs heavy from a long day and a full belly the three kits qickly drift off into restfull bliss.

Foxkit finds herself standing in a clearing below a great willow tree and a pool of glistening clear watter, a rock jutting majesticly over the water from a hill beside the willow. The night sky clearer than she had ever seen it, inumerable stars dashed across the sky. Foxkit looks back down toward the pool and the other edge of the clearing startled to see a stary figure emerging from the tended brambles at the clearings edge. As the figure approches the pool it grows more distinct, it is a tom with short dark red fur and even darker socks on his four paws. He stops next to the pool and sits staring toward the twinkling sky. Foxkit hesitates then heads over to the tom and sits next to him, a questioning glance directed at him. 'I must be dreaming... I think.'

"You look so much like your mother, and your father Foxkit," he smiles and looks down toward her as she tucks her bushy tail behind her mostly short fured body.

"H-how do you know my name? Who are you?" she blinks, a confused look on her face but somehow at ease next to this stary cat who reminds her so much of herself. "You look, familiar..."

He laughes a sad but comforting laugh, "Well first of all I am Darkstar and you are my kin."

Foxkit looks surprised at the news that she is kin to this stary tom but quickly listens as he begins to tell her more, "Foxkit there is a prophecy as there is always a prophecy. This I must pass on to you, the legacy and hope of Willowclan,"

Darkstar looks up at the stars again and cloes his eyes. "The willow will drown in blood when the dark star rises. Blood will run and kin will flee into the night, into the darkness. Fox will fight fox, blood will fall. One fox of brilliant light, one fox of never ending deceit. One will bring about the rise of Willowclan once again and the other will be its total destruction. Fire and ice will follow the light to clash with the deciever. Only the light can prevent the death of Willowclan." He sighs and looks to Foxkit. "You may be to young yet to understand the prophecy but know that one day you will do great things and the path you chose will forever change your life and the life of many others... you are a Willowclan cat born and raised. Your mother will be proud of you one day..."


	2. Willowclans Legacy

**Chapter 2: Willowclans legacy**

"Foxkit! Foxkit! come on, come on, we gotta go! Mama said she had someone for us to meet!" Blackkit rolls Foxkit over and Featherkit pounces on them both sending her into a fit of giggles. Blackkit jabs Foxkit, "wake up Foxkit!"

"Alright alright alright! I'm up! Get off of me featherkit I can't see past your fat fur!" Foxkit begins to laugh as Featherkit unsuccessfully attempts to roll off of her and onto Blackkit. "I had the weirdest dream," she half walks half runs over to her mother and pounces on her tail. "Mama did you know a cat named Darkstar?" Foxkit rolls onto her back and bats at her mothers tail. Willowsong stops drinking from a riverlet streaming off the nearby rubble, her eyes narrowed.

Willowsong looks at Foxkit, "Where did you hear that name?" then wraps her tail around herself.

Foxkit looks up at her mother curriously, "he told me, in a dream," she adds. Then she thinks for a moment as her mother calmly gathers her to her with her tail. "He said he was kin and something about foxes and Willowclan... Mama can you tell me about Willowclan?"

Willowsong sighs and looks to her other two kits, who happen to have gathered around her eagerly, then looks back to Foxkit with tears in her eyes. "Willowclan was our home a long time ago." longing creeps into her voice, "it was our home and the home of many other cats before us. You may not remember, or maybe you do," a glance in Foxkits direction, "but that is where you were born. I was in love with a handsome young tom named Bloodpelt. His father, Darkstar, was the leader of Willowclan and his deputy was an aging She-cat called Hornetgift. Bloodpelt was an amazing warrior and an amazingly acomplished hunter..." she pauses. "Darkstar told you of the prophecy didn't he Foxkit." She sighs again. "It is about time I told you that you three are clan cats... as are several other cats who live around here who do not have a two-leg, and some that do. You may not understand this now but we are the remnant of Willowclan, the only other surviving Willowclan members are Silverfur, his mate Lillywhisper, little Goldpaw, and Brushtail and her kits. You already know what a clan is, for all the times you've asked."

Blackkit interupts, "but you said the only clans were deep in the forest and there were only five of them..."

Featherkit pipes in, "Treeclan, Poppyclan, Eagleclan, Redclan, and... and... um..." her face thaughtfull.

"Starclan..?" Blackkit puts in smugly, "and it isn't REDclan its REEDclan." He puffs out his chest fur proudly untill Foxkit jabs him in the side playfully. "Ow! What was that for?"

"What was what for?" she grins as he jumps at her and they tumble and roll around the ground. Willowsong smiles as Featherkit joins in. She knows her kits will be put through many trials in the comming moons and seasons, afterall it was her own mother who had told the clan of the prophecy. She had to tell them eventually the horrible fate that had befallen the clan.

Foxkit had wriggled away from the pileup and sat on top of an old piece of wood, "star clan wasn't one of the ones that lived in the forest! Starclan lives in the sky, Nightclan lived in the forest," she then pounces on her sister and they tumble over toward blackkit.

"Blackkit, featherkit, Foxkit... I have to tell you what happened to Willowclan..." her three kits stop playing and hearing the tone of her voice curiously gather around their mother who gently pulls them to her side.


	3. Blood Under The Willow

**Chapter 3: Blood under the Willow**

"Your father and I were happy in Willowclan, we had plenty of food, plenty of room, and newborn kits. Heatherclaw and Darkstar were proud of their two kits Goldpaw and Dewpaw, They were made aprentices soon after you three were born. Heatherclaws brother Mintfang was the exact oposite of his kind and open sister, he was always lurking in the shadows and cared for no one but her and his dead mate Juniperfur. He especially despised Darkstar, because the way he saw it had taken Heatherclaw from him."Willowsong shutters, "Your father had grudges of his own... he was envious of Hornetgift, he was young and ambitious, he wanted to be the next deputy. Bloodpelt was never patient but he was kind to those he cared about." She takes a breath and closes her eyes for a moment befor slowly opening them and continuing. "Many cats in the clan knew that Bloodpelt was the likely candidit for deputy after Hornitgift became to old to do her duty, he was by far the best hunter and was often looked to for advice even though he was still young. They also knew that he wanted to be the next deputy more than he probably should have." Once again Willowsong took an unsteady breath, "your father had become edgy over the short period of time between when you three were born and when you were about one moon old. He began hiding things from me and snapping at the other clan members. He would often talk with Mintfang when no one was looking and they would dissapear into the forest for hours at a time. One day Hornetgift aproched Bloodpelt and began to question him about his outings with Mintfang. She had no love for the aging tom and began to question the loyalty of both cats. before he could explain what was going on Mintfang burst out of the edge of the clearing and attacked her, killing her in one swift blow."

"Mama why did he do that?" Featherkit interupts and is quickly silenced by her siblings eager to hear the rest of the story, "but..." they silence her again.

Willowsong continues as if she hadn't noticed the interuption, "Boodpelts long fur bristled but he didn't move. Not to help Hornitgift or to attack her killer. He stood there eyes wide, fur on end, just staring at the blood of his only obstical, his only enemy. Some of the other clan cats shared the doubt that your father was not as loyal to his clan as he used to be. Tabbysong, the medicine cat, was one of those who nolonger trusted him and when he saw Hornitgift die in front of Bloodpelt and he did nothing he screamed out 'Traitor' and attacked. Tabbysong raked his claws down his face and across his eye snapping him out of his daze and sending him into a frenzy. By then most of the clan had joined in. poor Heatherclaw watched as her clan and her kin killed each other, Darkstar was on his last three lives and even though he could see how torn his mate was he couldn't leave the clan in danger. He lept down and joined the frey."

Willowsong gathered her kits closer to her and as they huddled closer to one another her voice grew quieter. "Goldpaw and Dewpaw were on top of Mintfang tearing at his pelt and hanging on as he rolled and twisted trying to throw them. Bloodpelt was swarmed by Yellowwhisker, and Brushtail they didn't know what had happened, only that Hornetgift was dead and their medicine cat was atacking Bloodpelt and he kept screaming 'Traitor'. Bloodpelt didn't try to deny what had happened, he faught off the other cats one by one. He knocked Yellowwhisker back along with Brushtail, but when Tabbysong lunged at his neck Bloodpelt spun around and cought him full on tossing him across the clearing to the base of the rock into the shallow pool. He hit the rock hard and collapsed. Darkstar had cornered Mintfang after he had thrown the aprentices. When he turned he saw his son toss Tabbysong across the clearing. He tried to stop them before things went to far and fell. It looked as if he had tripped but then blood began to pour out of a wound in his back. Mintfang standing over his bloody form,"

Willowsong, absorbed in the story, begins to get louder as she remembers the grousome scene that once played out before her. "Bloodpelt turned just in time to see his father fall at the claws of Mintfang, who now stood defiantly over his gasping form. Blood was everywhere, it seemed to flow from the very earth itself. He screamed, an agonizing scream.. No! Then when he tried to reach his father the other clan cats steped in his way. It was like looking at a rouge stupid enough or strong enough to walk into a clan camp. many of the other cats turned and faught Mintfang only to be pushed back by their own hope of recscuing Darkstar. The others slowly advanced on Bloodpelt, none willing to hear his words. In their eyes he had betrayed the clan just as Mintfang had by killing Hornetgift. They clashed, Willowclan cat against Willowclan. Nothing had prepared them for the fght that ensued. Bloodpelt faught them off as if he were the mentour and they the newly named aprentices. They fell one by one defending the Willowclan leader down to two lives. Then one as Mintfang got another death blow to Darkstar in the frey. When Bloodpelt finaly reached Mintfang and Darkstar most of the clan had become to weak to fight. Darkstar stood shakily on his last life, between Mintfang and a fallen comrad. He took one last look at his son Bloodpelt and smiled sadly and lunged at Mintfang. Bloodpelt tried to stop him, leaping at the dwindling space between them. Mintfang swiped a paw across Bloodpelts face and tossed him aside then spinning he caught Darkstar in the neck. Bloodpelt watched sprawled on the ground as his father and clan leader fell for the last time. His last life draining from him he looked upon his son with love, and told him 'The prophecy would at last come to pass'. Mintfang sneared at him and laughed at Bloodpelt, he told him that he would forever be known as the cat that had killed the great Willowclan. Bloodpelt lunged in a blind rage, attacking the senior warrior that had killed his father. They rolled and tumbled in the muddy red ground, blood oozing from Bloodpelts face adding to the sticking mess. They went on like that for what seemed like hours trading blows, eventually Mintfang fell gasping. He had deep wounds on his flanks and chest. Desperately he tried to stand but to no avail. Bleeding he lay there at the end of his life just as Darkstar had moments before, but he had no one to hear his last words as he took his last breath. Bloodpelt walked away to the leaders perch upon the Willow stone. He proclamed to Starclan that Willowclan was dead by his own doing."

Willowsong was trembling by the end of the telling and tears threatened to fall from her painfilled memory. Her three kits gathered comfortingly around her.


	4. Just A Visit

**Chapter 4: Just a visit**

At nearly five moons old the three kits were almost old enough to become aprentices and they began to understand the way things work in the world they had only begun to explore. Blackkits bright green and yellow eyes shine with determination as he thinks about the clan and how so many cats had rushed to help the clan leader even when they knew it may have been the last thing they ever did, and how even as Darkstar lost his lives one after another he refused to run knowing his clan needed him.

Featherkits light golden eyes, angry with the thought of a medicine cat that had abandoned his duties, a warrior turning on his own leader, and the very idea of betraying the ones you live with, no matter how much you despise them, set her heart aflame.

Foxkits deep silvery gaze focused on something that the others couldn't see, looking as if she were listening to someone, as indeed she was.

Darkstar greets her almost cooly, flicking his tail for her to follow. He wanders around the corner of an old passage in the twoleg place gesturing again for her to follow. She excuses herself from her mother and littermates, quickly following Darkstar as he leads her around through the abandoned twoleg place, along deserted allyways and through to the edge of the twoleg place.

This Isn't unfamilliar territory to her, in fact it was here that she and her littermates had found themseves most, looking out on the forest only four foxlengths from where the almost abandoned twoleg place abruptly ends. There was no fence, no river, not even a thunderpath, the twoleg place just ended in rubble and overgrown yards. Just as Foxkit thought that they would go into the forest not a tailslength away, Darkstar stoped. He didn't turn to look at her, didn't wait for her to ask, he simply said, "This is your home, this is our home, and some day you will know what it means to fight to keep it." Then he was gone.

She blinked as the early morning sun broke over the tree tops. When she realized that Blackkit had followed her she jumped as he walked up beside her. "Was that Darkstar?" Thrown off by his question Foxkit just stood there with her mouth hanging open. "Are you going to answer or are you going to stand there waiting for a bird to mistake you for a nest?"

Laughing as he circles around her toward the nearest tree She shuts her mouth embarased "y-yes... you saw him?" she quickly adds.

He tries out his claws on the old birch tree and seemingly satisfied with himself grins misceviously back at her, "wouldn't you like to know."

Foxkit realizing that her brother was fooling with her fakes a sigh and gloomily walks over to the other side of the birch. Blackkit seeing his sister apparently put out hurries over to comfort her, only she was no longer there. Featherkit and Willowsong were padding over just as Blackkit was hit from above by a flying ball of light red-brown fur. Foxkit had climbed just high enough not to be seen by Blackkit when he had come around the tree, when Featherkit saw that she was being left out she jumped on top as well. The three kits wressled for a while forgetting the world and their worries. Willowsong smiles in understanding as she lifts her gaze to the sky surrounded by the familliar scent of Darkstar lingering in the air.

Morning sunlight streams in through a gap in the abandoned twoleg nest, a cool morning breeze wakes Willowsong, the first scent of leafbare waifting through the air.

Noticing the shift in the air Willowsong gracefully gets to her feet, puffing out her fur for a moment, then wanders over to the opening of her den. The sunlight strikes a glittering piece of rock on the ground making it seem to be alive with fire and ice. A sadness enters willowsongs eyes as she remembers the prophecy but she quickly banishes the unhappieness. Nothing was going to spoil this day. It was nearly two moons since her kits had learned the truth about Willowclan and it hadn't seemed to bother them much, in fact it seemed to spur them on harder than ever toward an uncertain future. Strangely enough though this didn't seem to bother Willowsong today, not with the sun shining down and a cool breeze blowing through the trees.

Drifting on the wind a voice whispers "It's time..," the world seems to slow down and then stand still.

Willowsong turns to find she isn't alone, a huge red and black tom is standing a foxlength away in the shadow of the twoleg den. He smells of rot and stale water. His scent hadn't allerted her, it was a common scent near the abandoned twoleg place, it was his intent. He didn't look at her, in fact he didn't even seem to notice her. He was looking at her three kits napping under a felled tree. He shifted into a hunting crouch and qickly and soundlessly covered the distance between him and his prey. His intent was almost palpiable and Willowsong was ready. She was on him before he made it close enough to pounce. She landed squarely on his back an sank her teeth into his scruf. The tom is nearly twice her size and strong. The surprise on his face when he was the one being atacked faded soon after he lost his balance. He rolled shaking Willowsongs grip from his neck as she let out a hideous screech. He hissed back and found his footing again, he would not be taken by surprise by this she-cat again. They circled one another the now very awake kits peering out from their hiding spot. Blackkit and Foxkit sheltering a terified Featherkit behind them. Foxkit was shaking badly but managed to stand her ground as the fight between her mother and a rouge tom grew nearer and nearer as Willowsong lost ground to the larger cat.

The tom and Willowsong were both covered in blood from various wounds. The fight was going badlly for willowsong and she was wearing down fast. The battle for her kits seemed to last an eternity with each tail lenght he won from her. Why didn't they run? Why didn't they leave her when she was clearly losing and none of them could help her? The tom landed another blow on willowsong and she repaied him in kind as she raked her claws along his hind leg. Then she staggered leaving herself open but the tom didn't take the opertunity, in stead he lunged toward the kits barly a tailength away now. Blackkit and Foxkit were ready for him. Foxkit went for his legs while Blackkit ducked completely under him and then behind him. The tom was unprepared for resistance from his young prey and triped over Foxkit hitting the ground right in front of Featherkit. Blackkit was on him the instant he hit the ground raking his back and tearing at his scruff. Foxkit joined him by clamping on to his hind leg.

The tom let out a yowl of pain as the kits atacked and when Willowsong joined them, replacing Blackkit by tearing at his pelt on all sides the kits backed off. He was beaten. They let him limp away, reluctantly. He would not be back any time soon, if he knew what was good for him.

Time began to pick up its pace once again, the breeze cool with leafbares arrival. Featherkit began to sob as her world became frightnigly real, running to her mother and worrying over her wounds. Blackkit sat and wondered what he was going to do, what he should do after something like that, and Foxkit crouched on the ground ears flat mouth open scenting the air, witing for an ambush from another cat or for the foolish tom to come slinking back.

Nothing but the comming of leafbare, the previous battle, and the now familiar scent of Willowclan lingered in the wind.


End file.
